Tourist rental platform Airbnb has called for Spain to adopt different regulations for holiday rentals depending on whether they're rural or urban-based, similar to a system in force in France.

The company has even defended the potential of short-term tourist rentals - a real enemy of Spain's anti-tourism movement last year - to decentralise tourism and boost economic development in rural areas, essentially demanding a recalibration of the Spanish tourism sector and rules to reflect it.

Town halls and authorities have tried to clamp down on Airbnbs and other tourist rentals in recent years.